Kaylah Walton
In his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” the late Matthew Perry openly shared his encounters with ketamine prior to his demise.
The renowned “Friends” actor had used ketamine therapy as a part of his strategy to cope with his depression and painted a vivid picture of the drug’s impact, likening it to “being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel.”
As described in his book, Perry initially found ketamine’s hallucinogenic qualities fascinating and even helpful, becoming more accustomed to its effects over time.
Insights into Ketamine Effects by Perry
His treatment sessions typically combined ketamine with the anxiety medication Ativan, administered under medical supervision and lasted approximately an hour.
“Ketamine felt like a giant exhale,” he expressed.
“They’d bring me into a room, sit me down, put headphones on me to listen to music, blindfold me, and insert an IV.
“[It] felt tailored to me – they could have named it ‘Matty’.”
“Having been in therapy for so long, this didn’t phase me. Oh, there’s a horse? Okay – might as well be.”
“As the music played and the K flowed through me, it became a journey of the ego, contemplating the death of the ego.
“Many times, I felt like I was experiencing death during that hour. ‘Ah,’ I pondered, ‘this must be what dying is like’.
“Still, I continually opted for this experience because it was a change, and any change is beneficial.”
Regrettably, on October 28, 2023, Perry was discovered deceased, with his demise attributed to the “acute impacts of ketamine use,” leading to his drowning.
Following Perry’s passing, it emerged that his longtime assistant, Kenneth “Kenny” Iwamasa, had a direct involvement in the preceding events culminating in the tragedy.
